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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spring — of water
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bear — to put up with
  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