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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mate — a partner
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mate — a friend
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. craft — a skill
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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