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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. press — newspapers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. press — to push

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