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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — to bear
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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