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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. shower — rain
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to confront
  7. object — to protest
  8. shower — to wash
  9. hand — help
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — a jug

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