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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — in football
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. roll — a list
  17. firm — a company
  18. stem — to come from
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — decided
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — of water
  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