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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — a container
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mine — for digging

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