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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — an aim
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. object — to protest
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — a thing
  14. spell — letters
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry

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