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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — happy
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. degree — from a university
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. firm — decided
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — steady
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — the amount
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. firm — a company

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