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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: bulb · rock · present · stem · row · lean · band · wake

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. present — a gift
  4. stem — to come from
  5. present — there
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — the time now
  11. band — a music group
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. row — a line
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wake — before a funeral

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