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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — the season
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spring — of water
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — the fish

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