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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 120 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hand — help
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music

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