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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. court — of a king
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — rain
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bowl — a football final

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