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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. current — electric
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a music group
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. pop — music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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