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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wound — an injury
  9. race — a contest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. board — a committee
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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