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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spring — the season
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. firm — decided
  14. stem — to come from
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pass — a permit
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — a company
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — of a plant

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