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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — final
  9. fine — all right
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — to breed
  13. content — happy
  14. last — to go on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. last — finally
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mate — a friend
  22. content — the amount
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cell — in biology

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