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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — happy
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — the amount
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — an aim
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. present — there

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