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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. squash — to crush
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — to bear
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. object — to protest
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. field — farmland
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — for sport

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