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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — a series
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fall — the season
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. race — a contest
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. race — humankind
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stand — to bear

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