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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — government
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rule — a law
  14. fall — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bat — the animal

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