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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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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: nail · rest · bay · wind · stem · bulb · roll · dip

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — a break
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. roll — a list
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — to sink
  24. roll — a cake

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