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

Word bank: bulb · stand · wound · fall · fork · racket · season · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fall — the season
  20. season — in sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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