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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. shower — rain
  15. mark — a trace
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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