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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. land — a country
  7. wound — an injury
  8. charge — in control
  9. spring — a coil
  10. land — ground
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — to fit
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a great time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. land — to come down
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — the season
  24. ball — a round shape

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