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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
468
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 · object · racket · staff · lie · cabinet · race · bass

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — a contest
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — humankind
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — a stick
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. object — an aim

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