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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. race — humankind
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. suit — in cards
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hand — help
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — a contest
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — obliged
  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