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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
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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: bulb · court · wound · squash · race · season · lie · arm

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. season — in sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — of the year
  6. court — for sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. race — humankind
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. squash — the sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. lie — an untruth

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