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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cell — in biology
  3. march — the month
  4. present — the time now
  5. march — music
  6. lean — thin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stock — shares
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lean — to bend
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — there
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — the month
  19. present — a gift
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — goods
  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