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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chest — a box
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. tube — a container
  5. swing — music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bass — low music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. swing — to play on
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chest — of your body

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