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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — what's left

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