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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — of water
  3. fall — the season
  4. last — to go on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spring — the season
  9. ground — crushed
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — to be able to

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