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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: race · bulb · nail · wind · court · bay · drill · stem

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. race — humankind
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. race — a contest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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