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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · cell · craft · bulb · stick · fall

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in a prison

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