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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — the season
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rash — a series
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — hasty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fall — to drop
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — to confront
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bowl — to roll

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