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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — the fruit
  4. craft — boats
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to confront
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. date — on the calendar

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