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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — a box
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bulb — for light

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