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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. spring — a coil
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. race — a contest
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spring — of water
  23. race — humankind
  24. prune — to trim

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