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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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Word bank
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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spring — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. spring — of water
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — a short time
  23. key — for a lock
  24. racket — for tennis

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