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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 · shower · plane · capital · object · club · leaves · mate

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. club — a group
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mate — to breed
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mate — a friend
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. club — for golf
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. shower — to wash
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. object — a thing

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