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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — in a race
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — the fruit

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