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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · lean · race · racket · cell · fall

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. cell — in a prison
  4. race — a contest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lean — thin
  10. cell — in biology
  11. race — the arms race
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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