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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fall — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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