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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. toast — bread
  5. cell — a phone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. club — for golf
  12. spell — magic
  13. land — ground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — letters
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bulb — for light

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