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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stand — to bear
  4. object — a thing
  5. current — of water
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — to protest
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — humankind
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — the tool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — of a river

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