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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. file — a tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. file — a document
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. file — a line of people
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chest — a box
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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