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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a face
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. spring — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  24. arm — part of the body

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