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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. field — for sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — farmland
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. field — a subject

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