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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — a gift
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. clip — a video
  12. face — to confront
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stock — shares
  15. race — humankind
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. race — a contest
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stock — goods
  24. bulb — of a plant

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