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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lean — thin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. roll — a list
  24. cap — of ice

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