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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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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: bear · stem · swing · firm · spring · saw · rule · bulb

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. swing — in golf
  5. firm — a company
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. swing — to play on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — the season
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. firm — decided
  19. rule — government
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — a law

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