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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — a company
  13. scale — size or range
  14. firm — steady
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — thin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — a series

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