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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · lean · present · mark · spell · stand · rest · leaves

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. rest — a break
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — magic
  4. present — there
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. present — a gift
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spell — letters
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. leaves — to go away
  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