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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — the time now
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — a gift
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. present — there
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. saw — the tool

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