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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 124 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wake — a trail
  20. tear — from crying
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. tear — from crying

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