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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: temple · last · stem · firm · drill · bulb · wind · suit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — in cards
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. firm — steady
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — decided
  16. stem — to come from
  17. firm — a company
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — moving air

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