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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. firm — a company
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — to drop
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — a video
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ground — a position
  22. rest — a break
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ground — the earth

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