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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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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: pop · mark · hand · lean · mate · ground · bulb · lie

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — help
  19. lean — thin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — music

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