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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stem · spell · lash · current · plane · bulb · hide · wind

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spell — letters
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — happening now
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. plane — a tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spell — a short time

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