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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. last — finally
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — a gift
  7. race — a contest
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. snap — to click
  11. race — humankind
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — final
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. land — ground
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. present — the time now
  20. bank — for money
  21. race — the arms race
  22. present — there
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cabinet — ministers

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