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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bulb — for light
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rash — a series
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rash — hasty
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. suit — in cards
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — of ice
  17. root — of a plant
  18. degree — from a university
  19. root — the cause
  20. tear — to rip
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. degree — an amount

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