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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. key — for a lock
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — the most important part
  12. land — to come down
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — a break
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — ground

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