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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. present — a gift
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chest — a box
  19. charge — in control
  20. present — the time now
  21. object — a thing
  22. present — there
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. object — to protest

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