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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — thin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. date — on the calendar

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