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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — to be able to
  11. object — an aim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. squash — the sport
  14. season — in sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — hasty
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. object — to protest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. can — a tin

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