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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — final
  4. fine — high quality
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. object — to protest
  9. last — finally
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. capital — money
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — to go on
  21. object — a thing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — all right
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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