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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stem — to come from
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hand — help
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — a safe
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. board — a committee
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — in cards
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hand — part of the 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