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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — shares
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — in control
  11. kid — child
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spring — a coil
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — goods
  23. rush — hurry
  24. spring — the season

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