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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 120 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: stem · firm · bulb · ball · wind · bore · rush · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — to tire
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. staff — a stick
  24. firm — a company

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