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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — boats
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — the season
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pound — a weight
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. race — humankind
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. perch — for a bird

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