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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitch — completely
  16. file — a document
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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