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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mine — for digging
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — shares
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fall — the season
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — goods
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stock — a soup base

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