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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: fall · temple · spell · stand · bulb · stem · fine · pop

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fall — the season
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — soda
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stand — to bear

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