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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. present — a gift
  3. spell — letters
  4. file — a document
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — there
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. spell — magic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — low music

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