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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mate — a friend
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. game — a match
  8. tube — a container
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — letters
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mate — a partner
  16. game — wild animals
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — animal skin

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