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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. march — the month
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. march — music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to click
  24. march — the month

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