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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hand — in cards
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hand — help
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rest — a break
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. saw — the tool

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