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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. race — a contest
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — to get on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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