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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — magic
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — music
  24. spell — letters

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