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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for dancing
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. hand — help
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hand — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — a permit

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