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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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