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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a match
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — an untruth

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