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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bass — low music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fall — the season
  13. spring — the season
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — thin
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stand — on your feet

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