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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — low music
  11. band — a music group
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. track — a song

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