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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cap — a hat
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — of ice
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — a lid
  18. press — to push
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wake — a trail
  24. race — humankind

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