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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spring — a coil
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a document
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — thin
  21. file — a tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spring — of water

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