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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · stem · sharp · swing · temple · root · cold · bulb

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — the cause
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cold — an illness
  6. stem — to come from
  7. swing — in golf
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bore — to drill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. root — of a word
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — not warm
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cold — the Cold War

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