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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — a series
  24. pit — a hole

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