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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — of the year
  8. tear — to rip
  9. season — in sport
  10. toast — bread
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — hurry
  15. capital — a city
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. capital — money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. season — to add flavour

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