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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — a measure
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — of a word
  6. fall — the season
  7. root — the cause
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. band — a ring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a music group
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. foot — the bottom

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