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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 120 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: coach · stem · bulb · firm · craft · saw · wound · mug

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. firm — steady
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mug — a face
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — decided
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. firm — a company
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — boats
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stem — to come from
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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