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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. season — of the year
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. key — for a lock
  10. field — farmland
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. key — in music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. field — for sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — a list
  23. season — in sport
  24. bulb — for light

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