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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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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 · can · land · lie · leaves · fall · date · dip

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — a country
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — the fruit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — to recline
  24. dip — a sauce

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