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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fork — in a road
  9. season — of the year
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — child
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kid — to tease
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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