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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rest — a break
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. band — a music group
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — the bottom

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