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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. rule — government
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. present — the time now
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — the fish
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. present — there
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chest — a box
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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