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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. last — finally
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — to go on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kick — in football
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — a container
  24. last — final

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