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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. shower — rain
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — a committee
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rock — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a flat piece

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