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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — a face
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mug — to rob

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