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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spring — of water
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. object — an aim
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spring — a coil
  15. race — humankind
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. object — a thing
  18. charge — in control
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spring — the season

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