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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. root — of a word
  12. pit — a hole
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a document
  22. root — the cause
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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