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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. spell — magic
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. root — the cause
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bay — a horse colour

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