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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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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: fall · bulb · cell · kick · pit · mine · stem · race

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — a hole
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — to drop
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mine — an explosive

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