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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. season — of the year
  4. suit — clothes
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — in cards
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. season — in sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. race — humankind
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — the arms race
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — help
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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