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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. race — humankind
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. content — the amount
  7. race — the arms race
  8. net — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — a division
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — a contest
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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