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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. object — to protest
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — a thing
  19. deal — to handle
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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