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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: bay · rock · leaves · perch · hand · bulb · wake · lean

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — help
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — 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