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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: wake · staff · rock · rush · stem · sharp · ball · bulb

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. sharp — clever
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ball — a great time

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