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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 116 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lean — thin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — for light
  5. march — the month
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — a grade
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — tied together
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. march — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mark — to pay attention

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