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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — the season
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — in music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stem — to come from
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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