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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. ground — crushed
  6. season — in sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. rest — a break
  19. season — of the year
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bulb — of a plant

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