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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. degree — an amount
  7. shower — to wash
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — a line
  10. shower — rain
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. row — to paddle
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — from a university
  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