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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — an aim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. pass — a permit
  10. firm — steady
  11. season — of the year
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. firm — a company
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. season — in sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — for light
  21. firm — decided
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wind — moving air

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