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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: stem · bulb · fork · arm · bore · staff · rash · rest

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. staff — employees
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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