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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ball — a dance
  24. deal — a big deal

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