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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — an aim
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — a lid
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. object — to protest
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. object — a thing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — low music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bulb — for light

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