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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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