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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. dip — to sink
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lean — to bend
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — a country
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lean — thin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — to come down
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lean — to rest against

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