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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spring — of water
  4. pop — soda
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — to visit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — the fish
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. spring — the season

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