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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rest — a break
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cap — a lid
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cap — of ice
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cap — a hat
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — what's left

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