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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fork — in a road
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spell — magic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — letters
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. season — of the year
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. season — in sport
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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