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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pop — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pop — soda
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wind — moving air
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. snap — to click
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — in music

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