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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. land — a country
  4. chest — a box
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. land — ground
  13. fork — in a road
  14. land — to come down
  15. fine — all right
  16. object — an aim
  17. lie — to recline
  18. net — in sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. net — after costs
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — for catching

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