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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. press — to push
  3. cap — a hat
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. race — the arms race
  12. shower — rain
  13. race — a contest
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cap — of ice
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. shower — to wash
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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