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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bat — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — a series
  6. staff — a stick
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — finally
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — employees
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — to go on
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. last — final
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fan — a supporter

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