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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — for digging
  14. dip — to sink
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bank — of a river

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