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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — a stone
  14. present — the time now
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — there
  24. bank — of a river

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