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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. ground — a position
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rest — a break
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hand — help
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — to pay attention

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