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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bound — certain
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — hurry
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — exactly

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