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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 112 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fine — all right
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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