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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fine — all right
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. content — happy
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. content — the amount
  18. hide — to keep secret

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