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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. spell — magic
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bark — to shout
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — letters
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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