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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — an illness
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rest — a break

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