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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. march — the month
  3. wake — a trail
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. march — the month
  8. object — an aim
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. object — to protest
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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