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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. game — a match
  13. craft — a skill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. net — after costs
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — for light

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