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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. track — a path
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. present — there
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fork — in a road
  18. track — to keep track
  19. present — a gift
  20. race — a contest
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. race — humankind
  24. present — the time now

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