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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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Word bank
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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stand — to bear
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stand — on your feet

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