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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. swing — in golf
  15. branch — a division
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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