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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · bear · arm · deal · rule · race

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. race — humankind
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. race — a contest
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body

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