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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · last · bulb · rest · stem · bay · hand · key

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rest — a break
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — the underground
  10. last — finally
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — a container
  17. hand — help
  18. last — final
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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