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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — boats
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. club — a group
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for golf
  11. snap — to click
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — for digging
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. can — to be able to

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