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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. squash — the sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — to sink
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — to crush
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bulb — for light

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