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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — thin
  5. stock — shares
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stock — goods
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to rest against

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