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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. season — of the year
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — in sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bound — certain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to drill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — of a word
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bore — to tire

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