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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stem — of a plant

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