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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — for money
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — shares
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — for digging
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — of a river
  22. shower — rain
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. coach — a trainer

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