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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pit — in a race
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — the underground
  9. club — a group
  10. snap — to click
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for golf
  19. season — of the year
  20. tube — a container
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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