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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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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. 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. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spell — magic
  4. game — wild animals
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — a match
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — letters
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. 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