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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. content — happy
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — the amount
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — the tool

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