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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — music
  16. race — humankind
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. race — a contest
  19. pit — in a race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — letters
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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