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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.

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: bat · land · bulb · mark · stem · band · stick · lie

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — ground
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. band — a music group
  15. bat — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lie — to recline
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — a country

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