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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — to grow
  8. press — newspapers
  9. swing — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — to push
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — to get on
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. press — a publisher
  24. plane — in geometry

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