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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. capital — a city
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. capital — money
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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