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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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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 · bat · deal · racket · stem · craft · face · press

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. press — a publisher
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stem — a stem cell

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