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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rash — a series
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lie — an untruth

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