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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. land — to come down
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tube — the underground
  24. leaves — of a tree

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