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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 120 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: leaves · snap · foot · bulb · spell · game · prune · bore

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. bore — to drill
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spell — magic
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. prune — to trim
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — letters
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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