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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fine — all right
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — to breed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rest — a break
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant

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