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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mug — a cup
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — to rob
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — to come from
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — of the year
  18. mug — a face
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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