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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. present — the time now
  12. mug — a face
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. present — there
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — certain

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