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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — of the year
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mate — a partner
  11. season — in sport
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bound — certain
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hand — help
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lie — an untruth

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