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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pop — music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. deal — to handle
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — the amount
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fall — the season
  18. mug — a face
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pop — soda
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — an agreement
  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