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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: bulb · bowl · lie · mouse · plane · snap · leaves · cold

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to click
  12. cold — an illness
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bulb — of a plant

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