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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. net — in sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rock — music
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rock — a stone

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