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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hand — help
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — to grow
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a lid
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — a hat

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