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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bulb — for light
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. band — a music group

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