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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rest — a break
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bulb — of a plant

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