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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rock — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — a signal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — for pool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — a hint
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rock — to move gently
  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