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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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