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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: face · current · perch · deal · season · bulb · race · kick

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. current — of water
  4. race — a contest
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. race — the arms race
  8. current — electric
  9. face — to confront
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. face — part of the head
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. current — happening now
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — in football
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — of the year
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. perch — the fish
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — to point toward

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