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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — soda
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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