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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. shower — to wash
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fine — all right
  24. shower — rain

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