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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: key · fan · last · rule · trunk · bulb · temple · stem

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. key — in music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. last — final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — to come from
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — to go on
  24. trunk — of a tree

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