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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. row — a line
  16. court — of law
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a dance
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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