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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stem — to come from
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. race — the arms race
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — a contest
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. capital — a city
  19. march — music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. march — the month
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — a friend
  24. race — humankind

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