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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. last — to go on
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — finally
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fine — high quality
  17. last — final
  18. rule — a law
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. rule — government
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fork — in a road

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