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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: mouse · bulb · cabinet · lean · fine · leaves · last · court

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. last — final
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — to go on
  12. court — of a king
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — for sport
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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