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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — the season
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — finally
  7. rock — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. sharp — clever
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. last — final
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — to go on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — for light

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