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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — a thing
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — a box
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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