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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — to fit
  3. race — humankind
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tube — a container
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. race — a contest
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lean — thin
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bulb — of a plant

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