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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: bat · bear · bulb · lash · leaves · ground · scale · key

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — in music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ground — a position

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