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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 120 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. plane — a tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lean — thin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. band — a music group
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  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