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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. band — a music group
  20. rush — hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a ring

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