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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — steady
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spell — magic
  6. firm — a company
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — in sport
  23. track — a song
  24. spell — a short time

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