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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — tied together
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bound — obliged
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spring — the season
  24. stem — to come from

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