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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · rash · wound · nail · content · bulb · race · lie

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. content — happy
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — a contest
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lie — to recline
  20. race — humankind
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — on the skin

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