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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — of water
  15. net — for catching
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stem — to come from

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