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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chip — for betting
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. band — a music group
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — ground
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a ring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chip — in a computer

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