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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — a series
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — hasty
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — the cause
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. root — of a word

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