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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — the season
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — for dancing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — for golf
  17. band — a ring
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — a group
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — to come from
  24. coach — a trainer

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