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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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cold — an illness
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rock — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. tube — a container

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