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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — a thing
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. object — to protest
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — for dancing
  9. land — a country
  10. club — for golf
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — in sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — ground
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. snap — to click
  23. club — a group
  24. leaves — lets stay

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