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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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 bend
  2. face — to point toward
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lean — thin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. face — to confront
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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