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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — a series
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — to hurry

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