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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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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: firm · spell · cell · tube · rule · temple · stem · toast

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. firm — decided
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — letters
  8. rule — a law
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rule — government
  15. firm — steady
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. toast — bread
  18. tube — a container
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. rule — to rule out

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