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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — humankind
  20. rock — a stone
  21. race — a contest
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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