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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. dip — to sink
  3. scale — in music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. object — a thing
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fine — all right
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. object — an aim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — a penalty

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