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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 112 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mine — for digging
  13. suit — in cards
  14. shower — rain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cell — in biology

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