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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. spring — of water
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — to protest
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mark — a grade
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — a thing
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. staff — a stick
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. spring — the season
  24. mark — a trace

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