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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: stem · bay · content · fan · rest · leaves · rule · bulb

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rest — a break
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. content — the amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rest — what's left

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