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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: bowl · foot · bulb · suit · rest · hand · content · cold

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. content — the amount
  8. hand — in cards
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rest — a break
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — for light
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cold — not warm
  21. foot — a measure
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. suit — clothes
  24. content — happy

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