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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. court — of a king
  11. hand — help
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — the most important part

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