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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — a contest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — a subject
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — for sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — farmland
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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