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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. race — the arms race
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — a contest
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — in cards

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