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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. face — to point toward
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mark — a grade
  18. band — a ring
  19. face — part of the head
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pit — in a 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