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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — a container
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mate — a friend
  9. content — happy
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a document
  14. mate — to breed
  15. file — a tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — to come from

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