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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: cell · current · calf · content · suit · temple · rest · stem

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — clothes
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — the amount
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — happening now
  18. cell — in biology
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. current — electric
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rest — a break

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