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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: chair · date · stem · season · leaves · deal · bulb · saw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. date — the fruit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — of the year
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. leaves — lets stay

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