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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bulb — for light
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bank — for money
  5. field — a subject
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. suit — in cards

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