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

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — a video
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wax — to grow
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. firm — decided
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — for paper
  22. firm — steady
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stem — a stem cell

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