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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spell — a short time
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — a match
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. staff — a stick
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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