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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: hand · fine · arm · leaves · bulb · field · rash · present

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. present — the time now
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — farmland
  10. hand — help
  11. field — a subject
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rash — hasty
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — a series
  24. arm — a part of something

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