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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a music group
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. band — a ring
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. face — to confront
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stand — for spectators

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