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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — a subject
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rash — a series
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — hasty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — to point toward
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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