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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cell — in biology
  5. spell — magic
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — letters
  13. stock — goods
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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