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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — a short time
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ground — a position
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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