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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: tear · spring · mark · stem · key · hide · row · bulb

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stem — to come from
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — a line
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a trace
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. spring — the season

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