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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. content — the amount
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. drill — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — a series
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. land — a country
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. land — ground
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — happy

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