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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: present · rest · bear · staff · stem · date · cell · bulb

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rest — a break
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. present — the time now
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — there
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. date — the fruit
  21. present — a gift
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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