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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stock — goods
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. object — an aim
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. object — to protest
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — for light

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