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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — humankind
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — to keep track
  8. race — a contest
  9. can — to be able to
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — the time now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — there
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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