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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — to spend time

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