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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — a break
  4. race — the arms race
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mark — a trace
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. race — humankind
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — to roll

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