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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. lean — thin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wake — a trail
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hand — help
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to bend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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