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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hand — in cards
  10. race — a contest
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — a coil
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — to cool the air

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