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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. kick — in football
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — an aim
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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