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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rock — a stone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. row — a line
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wind — moving air

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