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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — finally
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. club — for golf
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — the arms race
  18. tear — to rip
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a trace
  21. race — a contest
  22. club — a group
  23. tear — from crying
  24. last — to go on

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