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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. plane — a tool
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. march — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — the amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. content — happy
  24. coach — a trainer

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