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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. band — a ring
  4. season — of the year
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spring — the season
  7. band — a music group
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spring — a coil
  12. season — in sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. foot — part of the body

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