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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. field — for sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mine — for digging
  9. land — a country
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — ground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — a line
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. field — farmland
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. safe — out of danger

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