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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 124 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of law
  9. fork — in a road
  10. march — music
  11. court — of a king
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. object — a thing
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. object — an aim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. march — the month
  21. court — for sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — to eat with

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