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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: key · bound · mug · face · nail · stem · bulb · pop

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. key — in music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pop — music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — soda
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bound — obliged
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mug — a face

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