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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — rain
  16. scale — in music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — the season
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pass — to spend time

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