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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · game · wind · mate · arm · mark · bulb · saw

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mark — a grade
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. row — a line
  24. mate — a partner

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