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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stock — shares
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — a trail
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — goods

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