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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. band — a ring
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. track — a song
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pound — a weight
  23. track — a path
  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