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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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — the cause
  10. season — of the year
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. squash — the sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — of a word
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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