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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. shower — to wash
  5. hand — help
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — rain
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. present — a gift
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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