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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. season — of the year
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a hole
  11. face — to point toward
  12. land — to come down
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. land — a country
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — in sport
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — in a race

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