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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cell — in biology
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to drill
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — in sport
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — for dancing
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — a group
  18. row — a line
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a friend

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