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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 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fall — the season
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — to drop
  5. scale — size or range
  6. root — of a plant
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a list
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — in music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. content — the amount
  18. race — a contest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. content — happy
  21. root — the cause
  22. bulb — for light
  23. root — of a word
  24. bulb — of a plant

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