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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: bulb · pass · mark · stand · ruler · season · temple · race

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. race — a contest
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. season — of the year
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — a permit
  23. race — humankind
  24. bulb — for light

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