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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 116 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. land — a country
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. clip — a video
  21. pit — in a race
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — to come down
  24. charge — in control

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