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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — the bottom

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