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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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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: pop · game · lie · mate · toast · bore · race · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. race — humankind
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mate — a partner
  11. race — a contest
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — music
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — soda
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pop — to visit

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