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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bat — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rest — a break
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — decided
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bore — to tire
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bore — gave birth

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