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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. bore — to drill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — of a word
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. season — of the year
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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