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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — in cards
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — certain
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bound — obliged

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