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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. spell — magic
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — letters
  13. content — happy
  14. present — a gift
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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