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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — an aim
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. craft — boats
  8. object — to protest
  9. spell — letters
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — magic
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. object — a thing
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. leaves — to go away

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