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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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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. last — final
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bat — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. last — finally
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — to bear
  24. last — to go on

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