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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bulb — for light
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rush — hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. clip — a video
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — to bear
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. clip — for paper
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stand — for spectators

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