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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — help
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — there
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — decided
  17. clip — a video
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — in cards

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