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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: race · bulb · cold · stick · object · foot · plane · wave

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cold — not warm
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. plane — a tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. object — an aim
  23. cold — an illness
  24. race — the arms race

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