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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — humankind
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. race — a contest
  12. row — a line
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. race — the arms race
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — a law
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bear — the animal

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