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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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pass — a permit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ground — the earth

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