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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. roll — a list
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a grade
  13. deal — to handle
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bound — tied together
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bound — certain
  20. rash — a series
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — an agreement

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