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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tube — a container
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chest — a box
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — thin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a friend

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