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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. kid — child
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — hasty
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bark — to shout
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rash — a series
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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