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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: cell · rush · ball · leaves · stem · scale · bay · bulb

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rush — hurry
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — of a plant

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