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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. object — to protest
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — a series
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — a group
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  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