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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. race — humankind
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — in football
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — the amount
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. race — a contest
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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