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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in biology
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bank — of a river
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. race — humankind

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