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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — to breed
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — a friend
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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