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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 · lie · drill · roll · fall · race · cabinet · chip

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — to eat
  5. race — a contest
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fall — the season
  14. drill — a practice
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. roll — a list
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. race — humankind
  24. drill — army training

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