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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — the fish
  17. tube — a container
  18. craft — boats
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tube — in a tire

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