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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 · snap · stick · band · bay · calf · bat · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to click
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. band — a music group
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bat — the animal

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