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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: pass · stem · race · nail · fall · lean · pit · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fall — to drop
  4. race — humankind
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. race — a contest
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fall — the season
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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