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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fine — all right
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — of the year
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — high quality
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. kid — child
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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