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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fine — high quality
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. file — a tool
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. file — a document
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — the sport

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