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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · lie · current · temple · stem · press · content · ball

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stem — to come from
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. press — to push
  10. content — the amount
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — electric
  14. file — a document
  15. current — happening now
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. press — newspapers
  18. file — a tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. current — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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