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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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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. firm — decided
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — a company
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — steady
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bulb — for light
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stem — a stem cell

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