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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — in music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — a series
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — rain
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — of a tree

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