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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: plane · stem · present · rush · season · bound · bulb · hand

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. season — of the year
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bound — tied together
  7. season — in sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bound — certain
  18. present — a gift
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. present — there
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — the time now
  24. hand — part of the body

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