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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. season — of the year
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cell — a phone
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pop — soda
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — music
  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