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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: suit · snap · cap · race · racket · bulb · wound · fall

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fall — the season
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to click
  11. bulb — for light
  12. suit — to fit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cap — a lid
  15. race — a contest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — humankind
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. suit — in cards

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