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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: snap · pit · current · lean · race · bulb · bear · press

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — the arms race
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — a publisher
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — in a race
  19. current — happening now
  20. lean — to bend
  21. race — humankind
  22. snap — to click
  23. current — of water
  24. press — to push

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