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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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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: bay · land · bulb · lie · date · spring · rash · mark

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — the season
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — to come down
  14. spring — a coil
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — to recline
  20. date — the fruit
  21. land — ground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

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