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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spring — of water
  8. stock — goods
  9. spring — a coil
  10. last — to go on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. date — the fruit
  18. spring — the season
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. suit — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  24. last — final

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