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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. deal — to handle
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — music
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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