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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: pitch · rash · content · chest · stem · snap · fall · bulb

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stem — to come from
  11. content — happy
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. snap — to click
  17. rash — hasty
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fall — the season
  24. rash — on the skin

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