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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 120 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: temple · rest · bulb · kick · stem · key · charge · branch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — for a lock
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rest — a break
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. branch — a division
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. charge — in control

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