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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — humankind
  9. mug — a face
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — a contest
  24. mate — a friend

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