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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. degree — from a university
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. degree — temperature
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — to rip
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tear — from crying

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