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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rash — hasty
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rash — a series
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. last — to go on
  9. cell — a phone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — finally
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. key — for a lock
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. key — in music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — a container
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cell — in biology

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