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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — final
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cell — a phone
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to bend
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. deal — to handle
  14. last — finally
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lean — thin
  21. last — to go on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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