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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: perch · bulb · wake · foot · race · lean · leaves · straw

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. race — humankind
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. race — a contest
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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