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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lean — thin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. bulb — for light
  12. firm — decided
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. row — a line
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pit — a hole

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