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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: cold · wound · object · pass · plane · race · board · bulb

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. object — to protest
  10. race — a contest
  11. cold — not warm
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — an illness
  18. plane — a tool
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — an aircraft

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