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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fall — the season
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stock — goods
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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