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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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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: wind · bulb · pound · fine · plane · mate · cell · degree

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pound — a weight
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fine — all right

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