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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. march — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — a contest
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lean — thin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to bend

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