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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. content — happy
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. content — the amount
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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