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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. net — in sport
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — for catching
  15. rule — a law
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — after costs
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rule — government
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mate — to breed

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