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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. toast — bread
  15. race — a contest
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — a division
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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