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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. content — happy
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. club — a group
  18. rule — government
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. content — the amount
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rule — a law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — in geometry

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