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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. club — a group
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. club — for dancing
  21. dip — to sink
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. club — for golf
  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