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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — a contest
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — a short time
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. net — after costs
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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