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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bass — low music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. spell — letters
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spell — magic
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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