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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — for betting
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. root — of a word
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — the cause
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — for light

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