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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. march — the month
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. pit — a hole
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — an aim
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — to wash
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. march — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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