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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — after costs
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pop — soda
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pop — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. wind — moving air

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