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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. last — finally
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. firm — a company
  12. staff — employees
  13. firm — decided
  14. staff — a stick
  15. firm — steady
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — to turn a key

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