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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bank — for money
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rash — a series
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — humankind
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. race — a contest
  24. tube — a container

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