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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 · temple · firm · march · lean · toast · fall · bat

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — the season
  7. bat — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. firm — a company
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fall — to drop
  13. march — the month
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. march — music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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