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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spring — a coil
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — a signal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spring — of water
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. row — a line
  24. spring — the season

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