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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. game — wild animals
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fall — the season
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — a match
  24. season — of the year

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