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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. shower — rain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bat — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mug — a face
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mug — a cup
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mug — to rob
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bulb — for light

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