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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rest — a break
  24. clip — a video

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