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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. fall — the season
  4. rock — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — a break
  7. race — humankind
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rock — a stone
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lash — to lash out

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