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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. land — to come down
  4. mate — a friend
  5. land — a country
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. content — the amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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