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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — final
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — finally
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — to go on
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — thin

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