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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 116 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: rash · dip · stem · fork · bulb · object · spring · nail

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spring — of water
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. dip — to sink
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. object — a thing

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