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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — a safe
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. snap — to click
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wave — of the sea

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