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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rash — hasty
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. race — a contest
  12. lean — thin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lean — to bend
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. race — the arms race
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rash — a series

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