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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. march — music
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bat — the animal
  24. march — the month

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