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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — government
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — a measure
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. nail — for a hammer

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