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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. snap — to click
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — side of the head

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