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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · leaves · foot · bear · tube · wound · club · land

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — a container
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — a measure
  10. club — a group
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — a country
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — to come down
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. land — ground
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. foot — the bottom

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