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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: spring · bulb · wind · safe · drill · stem · pit · track

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — army training
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — the season
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — of water
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — a coil
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wind — moving air
  20. track — a path
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — the tool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stem — of a plant

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