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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — humankind
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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