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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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. squash — to crush
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pop — soda
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pop — music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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