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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. file — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. land — ground
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — of the year
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. land — to come down
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. band — a ring
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rock — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. land — a country

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