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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. shower — to wash
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — rain
  24. ball — a great time

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