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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pit — in a race
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spring — a coil
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stand — on your feet

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