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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. season — of the year
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — the season
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — an injury
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — bread
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. foot — the bottom

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