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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. file — a tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. file — a document
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — the fish

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