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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mark — a trace
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — a permit

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