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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: fine · field · stem · march · bulb · mouse · wind · hide

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — to come from
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. march — music
  24. fine — all right

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