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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spell — letters
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — magic
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — certain
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  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