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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. board — a committee
  4. race — a contest
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — to get on
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — a hole
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. race — the arms race
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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