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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bulb — for light
  3. last — finally
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. suit — to fit
  17. last — to go on
  18. race — a contest
  19. suit — in cards
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. last — final
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — of a plant

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