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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. game — wild animals
  12. firm — a company
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — a match
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bulb — for light

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