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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — of water
  19. scale — in music
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — the season

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