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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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Word bank
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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: stand · squash · wake · temple · bulb · spring · ground · land

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. land — a country
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. land — to come down
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spring — the season
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — a position
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — a coil
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — crushed
  22. squash — the sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — of water

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