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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. file — a tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. race — a contest
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a document
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a committee
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. race — humankind
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — to get on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bat — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. plane — in geometry

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