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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. land — to come down
  5. cell — in biology
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hand — help
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — a country
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — a phone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — ground
  24. tube — a container

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