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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fall — the season
  7. board — a committee
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — a hat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stem — to come from
  24. straw — dry grass

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