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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. clip — to cut
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — a position
  15. mug — a face
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — crushed
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fall — to drop
  23. clip — a video
  24. bound — certain

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