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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — shares
  3. spring — a coil
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — part of the head
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. date — the fruit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. suit — to fit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — of water
  22. face — to point toward
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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