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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
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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: stem · firm · kick · lie · pop · bulb · capital · patient

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a city
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — decided
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. capital — money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — in football
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. firm — a company
  20. pop — soda
  21. firm — steady
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pop — music

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