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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stand — to bear
  7. drill — the tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. content — happy
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. content — the amount
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. drill — army training

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