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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. suit — clothes
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mate — a friend
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — to breed
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mate — a partner
  13. suit — in cards
  14. toast — bread
  15. saw — the tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. shower — rain
  22. suit — to fit
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bulb — for light

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