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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: nail · bear · bulb · stem · perch · coach · mine · rash

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rash — a series
  13. bear — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mine — belonging to me

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