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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bat — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — electric
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — of water
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ground — a position
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stem — to come from

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