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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. shower — to wash
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — in music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rock — a stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rock — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — rain
  24. leaves — to go away

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