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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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Word bank
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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a plant
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kick — in football
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. root — of a word
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. toast — bread

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