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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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Word bank
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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: ball · rush · stem · spell · kick · bulb · rule · board

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. board — a committee
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rule — government
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. spell — a short time
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — to rule out

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