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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — a price
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spell — letters
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — a short time
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — in control
  19. spell — magic
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rest — a break

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