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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: bowl · wound · lean · temple · stem · pop

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pop — soda
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pop — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lean — thin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lean — to bend

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