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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — a price
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — in control
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — happy
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. content — the amount
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. row — to paddle

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