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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. sharp — clever
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fall — the season
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — a song
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. kid — child
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. deal — to handle

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