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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 124 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. roll — a list
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — of water
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. content — the amount
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. roll — a cake

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