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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 120 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
468
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: bulb · saw · lash · bore · court · ground · wind · stem

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — to drill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. court — of a king
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — the earth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — a position
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of law

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