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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 120 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: mine · ground · race · hide · arm · bowl · bulb · saw

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. race — a contest
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ground — crushed
  19. race — the arms race
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — for digging
  24. race — humankind

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