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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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 — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — to succeed
  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