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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.

Words on the sheet
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: club · lie · tube · season · ball · bulb · present · toast

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a great time
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. toast — bread
  11. bulb — for light
  12. season — of the year
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ball — a dance
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — the underground
  18. club — for golf
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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