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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cell — in biology
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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