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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. race — humankind
  5. season — of the year
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. toast — bread
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — in sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — for light

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