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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — certain
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bound — obliged

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