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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bass — low music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lie — an untruth

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