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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — a country
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. land — ground
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. land — to come down
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fan — to cool the air

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