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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.

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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: bulb · spring · file · stem · lash · saw · cap · rule

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spring — the season
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. file — a document
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spring — of water
  15. file — a tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — of ice
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rule — government
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spring — a coil

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