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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. fall — the season
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fall — to drop
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mark — a trace
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. jam — in traffic

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