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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. court — for sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. root — of a word
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. spell — magic

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