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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fall — the season
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cap — a hat
  6. race — humankind
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chest — a box
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stand — to bear
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bound — certain
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — for spectators

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