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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — a contest
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — of ice
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — child
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — a lid
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. band — a music group
  20. present — there
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — of a plant

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