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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. march — the month
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rash — a series

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