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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. land — ground
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pop — to visit
  12. land — a country
  13. pop — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. snap — to click

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