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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: mug · mate · tear · scale · bulb · lean · prune · bay

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mug — a face
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. scale — size or range
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lean — to bend
  21. scale — in music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. tear — from crying

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