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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — a division
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spell — letters
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stand — to bear
  14. board — to get on
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. board — a committee
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bat — the animal
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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