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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 124 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. last — final
  3. race — humankind
  4. last — finally
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. race — a contest
  8. current — of water
  9. last — to go on
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — bread
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. race — the arms race
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rush — to hurry

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