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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · fall · rash · scale · stem · rest · coach · bulb

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rash — a series
  11. fall — the season
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rest — a break
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — to come from
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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