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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — in music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — rain
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — of a river
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wake — a trail
  20. season — of the year
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wake — before a funeral

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