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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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Word bank
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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 · rock · race · cap · straw · date · spring · nail

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — a contest
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spring — of water
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — a coil

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