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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fall — the season
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mug — a face
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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