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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. clip — to cut
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. clip — a video
  9. race — humankind
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. row — to paddle
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — a contest
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. tear — from crying

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