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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.

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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fine — high quality
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. toast — bread
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bat — the animal
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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