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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stem — to come from
  7. current — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — to be able to
  12. current — happening now
  13. toast — bread
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — electric
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lean — thin
  18. last — final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. lean — to bend
  24. can — a tin

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