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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 116 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: bowl · pound · safe · row · cabinet · fall · race · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — a contest
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. row — a line
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — the season
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pound — a weight

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