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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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mate — a friend
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. root — of a word
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a music group
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. band — a ring
  17. spell — letters
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — an aim
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — a thing
  23. root — the cause
  24. craft — a skill

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