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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a word
  3. clip — to cut
  4. field — for sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — a video
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — farmland
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bound — tied together
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rush — hurry
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. leaves — to go away

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