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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — rain
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — a position
  24. band — a ring

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