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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. scale — in music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mate — to breed
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — a song
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — a path
  14. lean — to bend
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — an untruth

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