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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bore — to drill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bass — low music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of a tree

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