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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. race — a contest
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — in a road
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. staff — employees

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