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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. season — of the year
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — for digging
  24. leaves — lets stay

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