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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lean — to bend
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ground — the earth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ground — crushed

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