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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — in football
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a document
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. last — final
  11. squash — the sport
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — finally
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. last — to go on
  22. file — a line of people
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a tool

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