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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · bulb · lean · chest · jam · stand · race · season

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — humankind
  3. season — of the year
  4. chest — a box
  5. race — a contest
  6. season — in sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lean — to bend
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chest — of your body
  24. jam — a tight spot

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