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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: leaves · deal · lean · bulb · row · hide · pitcher · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. row — to paddle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — thin
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spring — a coil
  17. row — a line
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — for light

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