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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. craft — boats
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — a gift
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. present — there
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — a line
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bulb — for light

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