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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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