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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — a weight
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mark — a grade
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fall — the season
  14. content — happy
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a document
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pound — for dogs

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