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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.

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: stick · bulb · stem · cabinet · lean · field · march · craft

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. field — for sport
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. stem — to come from
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — boats
  12. march — music
  13. field — a subject
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — to bend
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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