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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — a coil
  3. last — finally
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. last — final
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kick — in football
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — of water
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spring — the season
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mug — a face
  23. last — to go on
  24. degree — temperature

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