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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — farmland
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — decided
  11. wound — an injury
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. tube — a container
  15. field — a subject
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — for sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rest — a break
  24. bulb — for light

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