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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · court · bay · file · squash · spell · stem · firm

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. file — a document
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. firm — a company
  7. file — a tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stem — to come from
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. court — of a king
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — of law
  24. spell — magic

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