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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rest — a break
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cell — a phone

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