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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cap — a hat
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — to keep track
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — for light

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