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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: can · last · temple · bulb · stem · object · spring · saw

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. object — to protest
  15. last — finally
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. last — to go on

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