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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
468
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: clip · toast · ball · spring · bulb · pit · file · stem

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Hold the papers together with 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. spring — of water
  2. clip — a video
  3. stem — to come from
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a great time
  7. file — a tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. file — a line of people
  10. toast — bread
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spring — the season
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spring — a coil
  23. clip — for paper
  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