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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — to paddle
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bat — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bark — to shout

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