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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — of the year
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — a country
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fine — all right
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — a series
  20. season — in sport
  21. land — ground
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bulb — of a plant

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