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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 124 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pit — in a race
  3. land — a country
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bulb — for light
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — in football
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. land — to come down
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — ground
  24. pit — a hole

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