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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. suit — to fit
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mine — for digging
  21. suit — clothes
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a ring

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