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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: race · jam · mark · bulb · arm · march · drill · lean

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — a grade
  3. race — humankind
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. drill — a practice
  14. race — a contest
  15. drill — army training
  16. march — music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — thin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — a part of something

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