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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 · rule · bay · kick · net · object · bulb · face

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. object — a thing
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rule — government
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stem — to come from
  9. kick — in football
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — to protest
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. object — an aim
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. net — after costs
  23. face — to confront
  24. net — for catching

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