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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. content — happy
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mark — a grade
  7. board — a committee
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — to get on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — a contest
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — humankind
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. race — the arms race

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