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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pass — a permit
  8. row — a line
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — to paddle
  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