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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. root — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a word
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. face — to confront
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — in a race
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. root — the cause
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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