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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. race — humankind
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — child
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — to drill
  21. race — a contest
  22. rush — hurry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rock — to move gently

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