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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — a contest
  4. firm — steady
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rest — a break
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. bound — obliged
  12. firm — a company
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. firm — decided
  22. lean — thin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — certain

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