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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — help
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — soda
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cap — a hat
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pop — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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