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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a music group
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lean — thin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. band — a ring
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. race — humankind
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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