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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — a company
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — of the year
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. charge — a price
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — the underground
  24. charge — electricity

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