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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mug — a cup
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. shower — rain
  6. rock — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. branch — a division
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rock — a stone

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