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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: tear · craft · bulb · pitcher · row · stem · rush · cue

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stem — to come from
  3. row — to paddle
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stem — of a plant

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