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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. last — finally
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. last — final
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — a country
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — to come down
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. land — ground
  23. dip — to sink
  24. craft — a skill

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