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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — the amount
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. race — the arms race

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