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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. field — for sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. field — farmland
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rash — hasty
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — a subject
  21. rash — a series
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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