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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — a thing
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — to protest
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to click
  24. wind — moving air

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