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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — in an idiom

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