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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 120 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: bulb · stick · arm · swing · can · mine · pop · stem

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — to come from
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. swing — music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bulb — for light

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