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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: spring · perch · stem · leaves · pop · bulb · coach · bay

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spring — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spring — a coil
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pop — music

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