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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cold — an illness
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a grade
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — a trace
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. foot — a measure

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