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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stand — to bear
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. charge — a price
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. shower — rain
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — after costs
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. charge — in control

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