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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: foot · present · tear · current · chest · stem · hand · bulb

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — a gift
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. current — happening now
  7. present — the time now
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. current — electric
  19. present — there
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — to rip

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