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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: bat · current · bulb · charge · mate · temple · face · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. current — of water
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. charge — a price
  10. face — part of the head
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. face — to confront
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stem — a stem cell

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