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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. ground — a position
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. content — happy
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. present — there
  20. content — the amount
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. present — the time now

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