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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. capital — a city
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. mine — for digging
  21. capital — money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bulb — for light

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