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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. present — there
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — the time now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rash — a series

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