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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: bulb · fall · rush · mate · land · toast · sharp · mouse

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mate — a partner
  4. land — ground
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. sharp — clever
  15. toast — bread
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. land — to come down
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. land — a country

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