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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 · bowl · bulb · fall · spring · chest · firm · land

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. firm — steady
  8. race — a contest
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. spring — of water
  15. fall — the season
  16. chest — a box
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. fall — to drop
  20. land — a country
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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