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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.

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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: bay · band · bulb · leaves · pit · firm · wave · stem

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. firm — a company
  13. band — a ring
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — decided
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — steady
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. band — a music group

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