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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. land — to come down
  3. season — in sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — size or range
  7. land — a country
  8. bound — obliged
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. bore — to drill
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. land — ground
  19. snap — to click
  20. season — of the year
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — in music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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