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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a signal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — finally
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — of a river
  8. last — to go on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — for pool
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — to tire

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