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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. last — final
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rush — hurry
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — to go on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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