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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mine — for digging
  4. net — after costs
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — certain
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — in sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — obliged
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — for catching
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lash — an eyelash

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