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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pop — soda
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. scale — size or range
  13. file — a tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. file — a document
  21. race — humankind
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — animal skin

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