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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — a country
  7. clip — a video
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. clip — for paper
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — low music
  14. land — ground
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. land — to come down
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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