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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. race — humankind
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — all right
  14. race — a contest
  15. tear — from crying
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. scale — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. scale — size or range

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