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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — boats
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. pop — soda
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pop — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spring — of water
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in biology
  24. spring — a coil

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