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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. content — happy
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — to crush
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. content — the amount
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. prune — to trim

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