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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. tear — from crying
  10. scale — in music
  11. spring — the season
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a trace
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mark — a grade
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bowl — a dish

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