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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: bore · stem · bat · staff · bulb · game · fall · coach

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to tire
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — the season
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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