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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — the earth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — all right
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — to bend

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