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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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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: prune · bulb · wound · firm · land · stem · rash · vault

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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