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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — all right
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. march — the month

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