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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · squash · toast · pit · bulb · lean · lie · roll

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. roll — a cake
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — thin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. toast — bread
  21. pit — in a race
  22. roll — a list
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — to crush

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