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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — steady
  5. last — final
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. row — to paddle
  11. firm — a company
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — for light
  14. firm — decided
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. last — finally
  21. row — a line
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — a quarrel

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