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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — the season
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — humankind
  12. can — to be able to
  13. race — a contest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tear — from crying
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — to rip
  23. charge — a price
  24. perch — for a bird

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