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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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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — in music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cap — of ice
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — a division
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cap — a lid

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