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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pop — music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. spell — magic
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. race — a contest
  19. pop — soda
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. race — humankind
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pop — to visit

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