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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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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: saw · bulb · lie · trunk · firm · ball · patient · stem

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stem — to come from
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — steady
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — decided
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ball — a great time
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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