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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. last — to go on
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rash — a series
  5. last — finally
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lean — thin
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — a contest
  22. season — of the year
  23. last — final
  24. band — a music group

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