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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spring — the season
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fine — all right
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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