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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 124 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — thin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — to breed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — a partner
  9. key — for a lock
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. key — in music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — a box

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