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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. firm — decided
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. firm — a company
  22. march — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stand — to bear

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