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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — for catching
  9. cold — not warm
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. foot — a measure
  17. key — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cold — an illness
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — part of the body

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