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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. object — to protest
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — hasty
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. season — of the year
  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