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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cell — a phone
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fall — the season
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — a series
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pass — to spend time

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