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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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Word bank
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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. race — humankind
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mate — to breed
  13. race — a contest
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — in a race
  18. kick — in football
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — magic

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