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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. present — there
  8. race — a contest
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. present — a gift
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — the season
  17. race — humankind
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — rain
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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