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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ground — crushed
  15. craft — boats
  16. ground — a position
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — army training
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. staff — employees

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