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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — thin
  9. march — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — a series
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — a break
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bulb — for light

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