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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. game — a match

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