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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · chair · stem · bulb · chest · rule · pitcher · temple

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — a box
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — side of the head

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