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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — happy
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fork — to eat with

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