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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chest — of your body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chest — a box
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com