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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. roll — a cake
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rash — a series
  11. date — the fruit
  12. spell — letters
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spell — magic
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. firm — decided
  20. roll — a list
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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