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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — of water
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — happening now
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — shares
  22. rest — a break
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tear — from crying

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