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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — temperature
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. degree — an amount
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. degree — from a university
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bulb — for light

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