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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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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: bay · stick · squash · rock · race · bulb · fine · leaves

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rock — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. race — a contest
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — the arms race
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. race — humankind
  24. squash — the vegetable

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