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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: stem · leaves · drill · fall · court · bulb · foot · band

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a ring
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. court — for sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fall — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — to come from
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. drill — a practice
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. leaves — of a tree

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