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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — a line
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — to sink
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. staff — a stick
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. row — to paddle
  19. object — to protest
  20. kid — child
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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