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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — the cause
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wake — a trail
  12. root — of a word
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — a subject
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. field — farmland
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — in biology
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. field — for sport

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