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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · bulb · row · temple · foot · rule

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rule — a law
  3. row — a line
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. foot — a measure
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rule — government
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell

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