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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mine — for digging
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — for tennis

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