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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. snap — to click
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. date — the fruit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bore — to tire
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. craft — boats

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