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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: plane · lean · bulb · saw · pop · leaves · mug · kid

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — thin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kid — child
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pop — music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mug — to rob
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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