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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — to come down
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — help
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — a country
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — to handle
  21. net — after costs
  22. land — ground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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