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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cold — not warm
  9. stem — to come from
  10. track — a path
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. object — a thing
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — a contest
  19. object — to protest
  20. race — humankind
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a song
  23. cold — an illness
  24. object — an aim

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