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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · fan · stem · bulb · present · content · rush · fork

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — the amount
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — a container
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — in a road
  18. present — the time now
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rush — a thrill

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