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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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Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — of water
  11. clip — a video
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — the season
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lie — to recline
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — a coil
  21. clip — to cut
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bulb — for light

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