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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — for catching
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — to handle
  7. last — final
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. net — after costs
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — a grade
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — finally
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. last — to go on
  24. season — in sport

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