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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. file — a line of people
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mine — for digging
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — of the year
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — in sport
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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