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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: saw · bulb · deal · plane · cold · present · lash · stem

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. bulb — for light
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — an illness
  18. present — there
  19. cold — not warm
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. present — a gift
  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