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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fine — all right
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bear — the animal

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