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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — for digging
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. sharp — clever
  21. can — to be able to
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kid — child

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