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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — a series
  8. season — of the year
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the fish
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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