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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — rain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stem — to come from
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. drill — a practice
  16. key — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. race — humankind
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — the arms race
  24. key — the most important part

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