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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. last — final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. last — to go on
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. firm — steady
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — decided
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. last — finally
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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