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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — to get on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. prune — to trim
  5. toast — bread
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. snap — to click
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stem — to come from

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