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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. current — of water
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — to come from
  21. vault — a safe
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bulb — for light
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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