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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fall — the season
  5. race — a contest
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — the arms race
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — a container
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — humankind
  24. rash — hasty

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