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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. charge — a price
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. race — the arms race
  12. plane — a tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. charge — in control
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. race — humankind
  20. net — after costs
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hand — in cards

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