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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — hasty
  9. scale — in music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rash — a series
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rock — a stone
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mate — a friend

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