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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stem — to come from
  5. net — for catching
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — in sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a ring

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