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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — a contest
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. charge — a price
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — steady
  18. charge — in control
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lie — to recline
  22. race — humankind
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chest — a box

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