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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — thin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — a country
  13. cap — a hat
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — shares
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stem — a stem cell

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