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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — employees
  18. race — a contest
  19. file — a document
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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