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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. suit — in cards
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spring — a coil
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — the time now
  18. spring — of water
  19. can — to be able to
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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