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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 120 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: pit · lash · stem · snap · fall · spell · race · bowl

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. race — humankind
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spell — letters
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spell — a short time
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spell — magic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stem — to come from
  20. race — a contest
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. snap — to click
  24. fall — to drop

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