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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · stem · fall · leaves · cold · mug · firm · object

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mug — a cup
  5. firm — a company
  6. cold — not warm
  7. object — to protest
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mug — to rob
  10. firm — decided
  11. mug — a face
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — a thing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. object — an aim
  18. fall — the season
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — steady

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