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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. scale — in music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — for weighing

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