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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — for sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. court — of a king
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — an aim
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — a thing
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. object — to protest
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — of law

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