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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — a country
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — rain
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. land — to come down
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. land — ground
  21. shower — to wash
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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