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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.

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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — the underground
  8. land — ground
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fall — the season
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rash — a series
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — a container
  19. land — to come down
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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