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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — in football
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mug — a face
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — in music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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