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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — in music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cold — an illness
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ground — crushed
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — a position
  15. march — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ground — the earth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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